Brussels, 26/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 26 November, the European Commission and ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) countries gave the kick-off in Brussels to the intra-ACP cooperation programme financed by the European Development Fund (11th EDF).
European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica and the president of the committee of ambassadors from the ACP group of states, Mpeo Mahase-Moiloa, put their signatures to the financing agreement on the sidelines of the ACP Council of Ministers meeting.
The programme, which is intended to guide the cooperation between all the ACP countries linked to the European Union by the Cotonou Agreement, will focus on the four priority areas identified jointly by the ACP countries and their European partners - in other words: - human and social development; - the environment, the fight against climate change and building resistance to this phenomenon; - peace and security through the provision of planned financial support for the efforts of the African Union and African regional organisations.
The EDF allocates financial packages to each of the ACP countries, and also regional packages. The intra-ACP cooperation aims to help the ACP states address common challenges to the whole group. The 11th EDF, which is equipped with €30.5 billion, finances cooperation between the EU and the ACP Group for the 2014-2020 period under the Cotonou Agreement (which links the EU to the 78 ACP countries). Consideration is ongoing as to the modalities of the EU-ACP partnership after 2020 when the partnership for development expires. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)